Current Shelter Status

Camp Heermance, Shehadi, and Rich are gone! Although camping is
legally permitted at all three shelter sites, it is discouraged on Mt. Whiteface
due to limited space and fragile conditions. If you do camp in this area,
it is particularly important to follow Wilderness and
low-impact guidelines, including the use of stoves (instead of wood fires)
and proper disposal of human waste. The Camp Rich site is the only
location that can accommodate moderate use, but proper
planning and camping practices are still essential to the ongoing protection and
restoration of this site. Please help us preserve the Sandwich Range Wilderness
for future generations to enjoy!

Background Information

The three WODC shelters dated from an earlier period of hiking, before the
advent of portable stoves and light-weight tents. In recent years the
shelters were valued more for their historic significance than as a comfortable place to
spend the night. Being within the Sandwich Range Wilderness, options
for restoring or replacing the shelters were limited. The 1989 SRW
Management Plan called for removal of the shelters when they required major
repair, and in 2002 the USFS completed the removal of all three shelters.

The most stable of the three shelters, but with a wet,
earthen floor and steady decay. Removed
by the USFS in the Spring of 2002.

Recent History

August 1998: Due to the poor condition of Camp Heermance and Shehadi,
WODC members at Annual
Meeting voted without dissent to recommend the removal of these two shelters. In
addition to eliminating structural hazards, it was felt that removal of the shelters would
reduce the amount of overnight use on the fragile summit of Mt. Whiteface. The
same motion also called for ongoing maintenance of Camp Rich, to the extent permitted
under Wilderness management guidelines.

Spring 1999: USFS issues a scoping letter proposing the removal of all three shelters.
After heated discussion at the 1999 Annual Meeting, WODC members voted by a slim
margin to recommend retention of all three shelters.

March 2000: USFS continues to study the disposition of the
shelters. Due to the complex Wilderness and historic issues, a
decision is likely to take some months.

Spring of 2000: Camp Rich collapsed. Shelter is no longer
available at this site.

Summer of 2000: NH State Office of Historic Preservation
determines that the WODC shelters (and in fact, the entire WODC trail system)
are eligible for inclusion in the the National Register of Historic
Places. This decision does not mandate any specific management action by
the USFS, other than requiring that any plan must include appropriate measures
to recognize and document the shelters' historic value.

Fall 2000: Preliminary decision made by the USFS to remove
all three WODC shelters. The removals will be conducted in order to reduce
the signs of human presence in the Sandwich Range Wilderness, and will include
measures to document the role of the shelters and their important
history. The shelters are likely to be removed during 2001, so
alternate plans should be made for camping in these
areas.

Fall 2001: Final decision reached by the USFS to remove camp
Rich, Heermance, and Shehadi. Camp Heermance removed late in 2001,
with Shehadi and Rich planned for removal in the Spring of 2002. Due to the
historic nature of the shelters, the USFS is working with the WODC and other
parties to memorialize the shelters through appropriate publications and
trailhead displays.

Spring 2002: Camp Shehadi and Rich removed, as well as the Heermance
toilet (on Mt. Whiteface.) The toilet at the Camp Rich site is being
retained, pending replacement with an "open-air" design that is better suited
for Wilderness.

Summer 2002: As part of the shelter removal process, the USFS
prepared a preliminary design for a new Ferncroft Kiosk, including a
historical profile of the shelters and the WODC trail system. The
proposed display also includes expanded Wilderness information, low-impact
visitor guidelines, and an enhanced presentation of the WODC map.

Spring 2004: The new Ferncroft kiosk is complete. It
includes an enlarged copy of the WODC Map, a panel of hiker information,
and a historical panel concerning the trails and shelters.

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This page was last modified on
03/07/2007
.